Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Dogs Community
This forum is for questions and support regarding your pet dogs!
Abdominal surgery; partial intestine removal
by easyjet95, Jun 08, 2008 10:28PM
On Wednesday 6/4 my 7yo Blackmouth cur underwent an exploratory surgery for what they thought was a tumor in his abdomen. He had been losing weight and had not had an excellent appetite, though here, in Texas it has gotten hot and he usually eats less in the summer, so I thought nothing of it, until he began to really lose weight.
I was allowed to watch the surgery, as they were afraid they might lose him, and when the doctor opened him up he found that he had a blockage in his intestine. It was actually horse manure that he'd eaten (I train for a living) and he'd not passed it due to a hole in the mesenteric wall the Dr. said. They removed that entire section of intestine.
They kept him at the clinic through Friday afternoon, and sent him home with canned dog food, and told me to mix a can of water, and a can of food and feed him via a 60cc syringe 2x/day and also give him yogurt.
He is still not wanting to eat, and I feel like that might be a bit much for his stomach. He has got a major case of diarrhea and today I caught him throwing up and yowling in pain and his stomach was very tense. I understand that because he was blocked he's going to have trouble in his digestive system. The doctor had him on antibiotics that he was giving via a shot, and now he's on a pill. He also sent home pain pills.
What can I expect as far as this is concerned and should he be getting better? The vet seemed to think (he's been practicing for 40 years) that if he made it past day 4 he'd pull through, but the poor dog just lays and barely wags his tail. It's obvious he doesn't feel good. I understand that this is major surgery, but I don't want him to be in pain.
I was allowed to watch the surgery, as they were afraid they might lose him, and when the doctor opened him up he found that he had a blockage in his intestine. It was actually horse manure that he'd eaten (I train for a living) and he'd not passed it due to a hole in the mesenteric wall the Dr. said. They removed that entire section of intestine.
They kept him at the clinic through Friday afternoon, and sent him home with canned dog food, and told me to mix a can of water, and a can of food and feed him via a 60cc syringe 2x/day and also give him yogurt.
He is still not wanting to eat, and I feel like that might be a bit much for his stomach. He has got a major case of diarrhea and today I caught him throwing up and yowling in pain and his stomach was very tense. I understand that because he was blocked he's going to have trouble in his digestive system. The doctor had him on antibiotics that he was giving via a shot, and now he's on a pill. He also sent home pain pills.
What can I expect as far as this is concerned and should he be getting better? The vet seemed to think (he's been practicing for 40 years) that if he made it past day 4 he'd pull through, but the poor dog just lays and barely wags his tail. It's obvious he doesn't feel good. I understand that this is major surgery, but I don't want him to be in pain.
You know you will contact your vet again on monday...
give dog some other options maybe:
Can Libby's pumpkin diluted is great on stomach
boil rice, drain, use the rice water
gatorade no red just mild flavor
to keep hydrated...all this can be syringed...
the vomiting hurts the surgery by straining....try those options w/syringe
did vet give anything for bowels...pectin or ????
you can give pepto bismal to dogs....I have by the suggestion of my Texas vet...
Hope your little fella gets better...
"He has got a major case of diarrhea and today I caught him throwing up and yowling in pain and his stomach was very tense."
Solids are going to be pretty tough for a while, so you might try adding pedialyte or gatorade to enhance his electrolytes, and low sodium chicken broth for a bit of nutrition. That is, if he still isn't wanting to eat solid food yet.
I've had a bowel resection myself, and was astounded and the after effects. Everything in my gut just laid there on strike for days. It's the oddest feeling. I'm in far west Houston - where are you in the Great Republic of TX? :-)
We were also told to watch her closely because she would not be able to survive another intestinal surgery.
Is he still showing improvement?
I stayed up with him all night and he started to vomit blood in the morning so called her back. She did surgery 7 days ago and found the blockage and the damage to the lower intestine. She ended up removing a foot and a half. She kept the dog on a iv at her office for the next 3 days, He had no food for almost a week all together, but was well hydrated the entire time.
When she started food, she had the techs give him a tablespoon at a time with sulcrafate (it's usually for ulcers). She only let him come home after he was able to eat without vomiting.
He's been home for 5 days. We've cooked chicken and rice for him, blending it up to a smooth consistency and slowing increasing the amount and decreasing the frequency we feed him each day. To be sure he stays hydrated, we mix a bit of the food in with about a cup of water in between meals.
He's only vomited twice and is very perky. So much so that we have to keep him on the pain meds to keep him chilled out-the vomiting happened after he ran around a bit.
Our vet wanted to know anytime he vomited or if he was acting dumpy.
It's been quite a roller coaster, but he goes back in on Friday for a check up and I think he's going to get a good bill of health. His coat is starting to look less dull and the stiches on his belly look like they are healing well.
Good luck with your pup. I think I might check with a different vet if I were you, yours sounds a bit impatient with the recovery plan and I think your pup might be paying for that impatence.
I loved him dearly and I miss him daily.
He was my bestest buddy; I regret that we did not find out about his sickness sooner, as that might have saved him.